Balance skill game

ABSTRACT

A GAME TOY FOR PROMOTING THE SKILL OF HAND STEADINESS IN A PLAYER WHICH COMPRISES AN UPSTANDING T-SHAPED SUPPORTING STAND AND A SERIES OF INDIVIDUAL BALANCING UNITS WHICH CAN BE SUCCESSIVELY SUSPENDED IN CHAIN-LIKE ARRAY FROM THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE STAND, THE OBJECT OF THE GAME BEING TO ERECT THE LONGEST POSSIBLE CHAIN OF BALANCING UNITS WITHOUT KNOCKING OR OTHERWISE DISPLACING THE BALANCING UNITS FROM THE SUPPORTING STAND. EACH BALANCING UNIT COMPRISES AN UPPER HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ELONGATED ARM WITH A BIFURCATED YOKE CONNECTED AT ONE END THEREOF IN ACUTE ANGULAR RELATION THERETO, THE YOKE PORTION INCLUDING A LOWER COUNTERWEIGHTING CROSS-PIECE.

Feb. 20, 1973 BOWERS 3,717,340

BALANCE SKILL GAME Filed Feb. 10, 1971 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. JEFF/PE) L, BUM 135 United States Patent O f 3,717,340 BALANCE SKILL GAME Jeffrey L. Bowers, 1023 North Broadway E., Columbus, Ohio 43224 Filed Feb. 10, 1971, Ser. No. 114,218 Int. Cl. A63f 9/00 US. Cl. 2'731 R 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A game toy for promoting the skill of hand steadiness in a player which comprises an upstanding T-shaped supporting stand and a series of individual balancing units which can be successively suspended in chain-like array from the opposite ends of the stand, the object of the game being to erect the longest possible chain of balancing units without knocking or otherwise displacing the balancing units from the supporting stand. Each balancing unit comprises an upper horizontally disposed elongated arm with a bifurcated yoke connected at one end thereof in acute angular relation thereto, the yoke portion including a lower counterweighting cross-piece.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to skill games or toys, and more particularly to games embodying a plurality of relatively engageable balancing units.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a balancing toy game which includes a supporting stand or table and a plurality of individual balancing units or devices which are so constructed as to be suspendable in balanced, chain-like array from the stand or table and from one another. The present game may be played by a single player, or by plural players in competition, the object being to determine the skill or luck of the player in carefully assembling the balancing units so as to form the longest possible chain.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel balancing toy game which challenges and/or taxes the ability and dexterity of a player in building a depending chain of delicately balanced units without toppling the units from the supporting stand or table.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a game which tests and develops a persons steadiness of hand and eye.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a game which can be played and enjoyed by both adults and children regardless of age.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a balancing toy game which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident from the following specification and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perpsective view of one of the balancing units of the present game;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the supporting stand on which one of the balancing units is positioned; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view showing a plurality of balancing units suspended in balanced array from the edge of the supporting stand.

3,717,340 Patented Feb. 20, 1973 DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 designates generally the present balancing toy game which consists of a generally T-shaped supporting stand 11 and plurality of individual balancing units 12.

The stand 11 preferably includes a horizontal floor or table-supported base 13, an upstanding vertical post or standard 14, and a horizontally extending table top or cross-arm 15 rigidly affixed to the post 14. The opposite edges of the top or cross-arm 15 of the supporting stand 11 define outwardly projecting, relatively elevated ledges 24 and 25 from which the balancing units 12 may be suspended.

Each of the balancing units 12 includes an upper, generally elongated, horizontal arm 16 to one end 17 of which is connected the upper ends 18 of a pair of relatively spaced apart legs 19 of a bifurcated yoke 20. The yoke 20 also includes at the lower end thereof a counterweighting cross-piece 21 having an upper edge surface 23 which defines with the legs 19 an open space 22 between the arm 16 and the cross-piece 21. As will be noted, the legs 19 and cross-piece 21 of the yoke 20 extend downwardly in acute angular relation to the longitudinal axis of the upper arm 16 and to an extent that the major portion of the cross-piece 21 projects laterally outwardly beyond the hooked-shaped end portion 26 of the arm 16. As will be noted particularly in FIG. 2, the suspension toe 27 is preferably defined by the flat bottom surface 28 of the arm 16 and the upper arcuately curved surface 29 of the hook-shaped end 26 of the arm 16.

Play of the game is commenced by first carefully placing the suspension toe 27 of one of the balancing units 12 over one of the edges or ledges 24 or 25 of the supporting stand 11, as shown in FIG. 2. If the player is sufficiently deft in removing his hand from the balancing unit 12, it will remain suspended from the ledge of the stand, even though it may teeter somewhat on the ledge. On the other hand, if the player is not particularly careful, or if his hand is unsteady, he may overbalance the unit 12 to an extent that it will slip off the ledge of the stand and fall to the floor. If the player is successful in placing the first balancing unit 12 on the ledge so that it remains stabilized thereon, he may then proceed to build a depending chain 30 of the remaining balancing units 12 by carefully placing the suspension toe 27 of a second balancing unit 12 on the upper surface 23 of cross-piece 21 of the first suspended balancing umt, and so on unit all of his balancing units have been exhausted, or until he accidentally knocks or topples one or more of the balancing units from the stand or from the remaining units.

When the game is played by two or more players in competition, placement of the balancing units 12 may be alternated between the players until one player commits an error in placing his unit and thereby becomes a loser. Alternatively, the game may be played in competition by letting each player, in turn, build a chain utilizing as many balancing units as possible before failure, with the winner being determined by the player building the longest chain.

In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides an interesting and attractive game for young and old alike, and one which demands a high degree of skill and dexterity in the proper placement and release of the balancing units.

Having thus described the invention in detail, what is claimed is:

1. In a balance skill game; the combination with a support defining an elevated, outwardly projecting ledge, of a plurality of separate, but identical balancing units adapted to be successively suspended in balanced chainlike array from the ledge of said support and from one another; each of said balancing units comprising an upper, generally horizontally disposed, elongated arm portion formed at one end thereof with an outwardly projecting suspension toe, and a rigid depending bifurcated yoke portion connected with the opposite end of said arm portion and disposed in acute angular relation to said arm portion, said yoke portion including a lower counter-Weighting, cross-piece, said counter-Weighting crosspiece providing on the balancing unit a surface to receive and support the suspension toe of a second relatively depending balancing unit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,589,724 6/1971 Barlow 273-l R 3,537,706 11/ 1970 Heavener, Jr 273-1 R 2,738,188 3/1956 Hofiman 272-8 N 3,414,265 12/1968 Marks 273--1 R X RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 272-8 N -4 

